The bus was perhaps THE most undignified way to travel,she thought to
herself as she shifted position yet again in the seat. Staring out the window she had the
luxury of surveying the California beigeness that lay stretched before her on the path
back
to Sunnydale.
"Focus on the beige" she murmured to herself.
Somehow that alone might be able to keep her thoughts from tailspinning
again. And keep her on this bus to Sunnydale, home. The 2 months had gone by quicker
than she'd thought. She'd amazed herself with how good she had become at being someone
else.
Someone different.
Someone not destined to fight the forces of darkness.
Someone who was NOT the chosen one.
Someone beige.
Her thoughts were interuppted by the hushed sounds of crying behind her.
Frowning,she turned to look between the rows at the source.A girl, not much older than
herself. Plump, and with red hair that invoked thoughts of Willow and home. Despite herself,
she winced.
The girl sat there,staring forlornly at the passing landscape with mascara
streaming down her face. Occasionally a sniffle and smothered sob would tumble out.
Spread out across her lap and the ajoining seat were letters. Buffy frowned again as a
halfhearted swipe at the tearsspread the mascara further across the girls pale cheek.
" You know that's not so great for your skin" Buffy said to her, gaining a startled
look from surprisingly wide green eyes.
"I'm sorry?" the girl said, again mopping her eyes. "Did you say something?"
"Your mascara is getting all over your face" Buffy replied and gamely grabbing her purse,
she moved back to the seat covered in letters. Moving them gingerly aside, she added
"Here let me show you, hi, I'm Buffy"
Taking the proffered hand, the girl paused a moment before responding.
" My name is Sarah"
A half hour later found Sarah laughing, her face shining and newly made up with the
seemingly bottomless supply of makeup from Buffy's bag. The tears were from a freshly
broken heart, Sarah was making a pilgrimage away from the source of it in an effort to
distance herself from the pain.
" You know, I dont' know you-not that that stopped me from putting makeup on your face
and all but- I DO know about running away from things." Buffy began. " It doesn't make
the pain go away, Sarah. It's still there, waiting to come back and knock you down again,
right when you least expect it. Only this time, because you've abandoned everything, there
is noone to catch you when you fall. Are you sure this is what you want? Or are you just
afraid to face things as they are?"
Hearing the words coming out of her own mouth, Buffy realized how true they were, and
was a bit surprised at her own wisdom. And realizing that, it made the hurt of the past
few months a bit less. As she talked more to Sarah, she began to see her own failings,
her own fears. She had to return to Sunnydale, she knew that, but now she had a bit of
renewed hope. It wasn't going to be easy, and she had a lot of explaining to do- but she
was going home. Time would heal the wounds in her heart, and Sarah's as well.
In Sunnydale, Buffy helped Sarah book her busride back home and stayed to see her get on
it before beginning the walk home, and back to her life.
herself as she shifted position yet again in the seat. Staring out the window she had the
luxury of surveying the California beigeness that lay stretched before her on the path
back
to Sunnydale.
"Focus on the beige" she murmured to herself.
Somehow that alone might be able to keep her thoughts from tailspinning
again. And keep her on this bus to Sunnydale, home. The 2 months had gone by quicker
than she'd thought. She'd amazed herself with how good she had become at being someone
else.
Someone different.
Someone not destined to fight the forces of darkness.
Someone who was NOT the chosen one.
Someone beige.
Her thoughts were interuppted by the hushed sounds of crying behind her.
Frowning,she turned to look between the rows at the source.A girl, not much older than
herself. Plump, and with red hair that invoked thoughts of Willow and home. Despite herself,
she winced.
The girl sat there,staring forlornly at the passing landscape with mascara
streaming down her face. Occasionally a sniffle and smothered sob would tumble out.
Spread out across her lap and the ajoining seat were letters. Buffy frowned again as a
halfhearted swipe at the tearsspread the mascara further across the girls pale cheek.
" You know that's not so great for your skin" Buffy said to her, gaining a startled
look from surprisingly wide green eyes.
"I'm sorry?" the girl said, again mopping her eyes. "Did you say something?"
"Your mascara is getting all over your face" Buffy replied and gamely grabbing her purse,
she moved back to the seat covered in letters. Moving them gingerly aside, she added
"Here let me show you, hi, I'm Buffy"
Taking the proffered hand, the girl paused a moment before responding.
" My name is Sarah"
A half hour later found Sarah laughing, her face shining and newly made up with the
seemingly bottomless supply of makeup from Buffy's bag. The tears were from a freshly
broken heart, Sarah was making a pilgrimage away from the source of it in an effort to
distance herself from the pain.
" You know, I dont' know you-not that that stopped me from putting makeup on your face
and all but- I DO know about running away from things." Buffy began. " It doesn't make
the pain go away, Sarah. It's still there, waiting to come back and knock you down again,
right when you least expect it. Only this time, because you've abandoned everything, there
is noone to catch you when you fall. Are you sure this is what you want? Or are you just
afraid to face things as they are?"
Hearing the words coming out of her own mouth, Buffy realized how true they were, and
was a bit surprised at her own wisdom. And realizing that, it made the hurt of the past
few months a bit less. As she talked more to Sarah, she began to see her own failings,
her own fears. She had to return to Sunnydale, she knew that, but now she had a bit of
renewed hope. It wasn't going to be easy, and she had a lot of explaining to do- but she
was going home. Time would heal the wounds in her heart, and Sarah's as well.
In Sunnydale, Buffy helped Sarah book her busride back home and stayed to see her get on
it before beginning the walk home, and back to her life.